Did Earnie Shavers hit even harder than Sonny Liston?

Actually, he may well have done. Shavers was a monster puncher..
So was Liston tho.

 

Very likely but there wouldn't be a great deal in it. We need to remember that Shavers went all out a lot where as Sonny had that tighter technique and more compact delivery.

 

No

 

Most likely yes. But he wasn't the better puncher which is what really matters.

 

Wrong. Shavers did not hit harder. Shavers simply loaded up and hit with all he got, thus his shots felt harder.
Liston rarely let go like that, he tended to keep his punches more crisp and tight (as one would expect from the superior boxer), thus his opponents rarely could get a feeling for his entire power.

 

Just by the sheer amount of testimony from fighters with great chins & skills, I'd tend to think Shavers hit harder.

 

Liston had way more skills, by far the more complete package.

For one shot power, I have to give it to Earnie for sure. But I pick Earnie in that dept over everybody except Wilder's right.

 

Liston's job is harder.

 

I agree Shavers punches were "more crisp and tight", and Shavers' punchers were less "correct".

However, given all of the testimonies to his power, the eye test, etc, I'd edge it out to Earnie. Nobody Shavers faced said anybody hit him harder (though Cobb did say Norton once hit him as hard Shavers ever did, but the difference was Shavers was hitting him like that every time he hit, while Norton only did so once) while Liston wasn't even known as the hardest puncher in his day.

According to most common opponents and sparring partners, Cleveland Williams was the harder puncher between the 2.

 

Well, perhaps Williams was also a bigger puncher than Shavers, not just Liston.

 

Believe me I’d like nothing more than to believe that!

 

I for one do believe that. I've always believed (and I still do) that if all the HWs were to hit a stationary target that had some kind of measuring device on it, Shavers wouldn't even be in the top 5, perhaps not even top 10.

 

Earnie Shavers had numbing power but lacked stamina and could not take a punch. Sonny Liston fought Marty Marshall in 1954 with a fractured jaw despite losing on points. Poor Earnie got flattened by Jerry Quarry in round 1 on Dec 14 1973.